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Whistle (along) while you work.
(Credit: Electrolux)Cleaning is no fun. Making a mess is sure fun, but the aftermath can be a downer. But, regardless of the state of the house, the cleaning simply has to (at some point) get done. Cleaning while listening to music is one way to make the chores go by in a more enjoyable manner. However, sooner or later you're going to have to put down that duster and plug in the vacuum cleaner--and there goes the music. Unless of course, you have a vacuum cleaner that also plays music.
The Electrolux UltraSilencer Music Edition Amplified iPod Vacuum is a concept machine designed to make the chore of vacuuming as pleasant and efficient as possible. The musical vacuum cleaner not only features an iPod dock, but also--thanks to exceptionally silent operation--comes complete with two integrated speakers.
Backed up by data (click here for a PDF of the data, or here to watch a video), Electrolux has figured out that the best way to clean is to listen to music. And yes, it depends what type of music. Measuring such variables as Precision, Efficiency, Mood, and Fortitude, the test concluded that "overall, classical music was the best music style for vacuum cleaning." As an added bonus, no matter what type of music you prefer, the results determined that in all cases, the chore was less stressful and even burned more calories than vacuuming without music.
(Via Appliancist)
Every year, Electrolux invites industrial design students worldwide to design appliances that will help shape how consumers think about cooking, cleaning, and storing food and other items around the home. At stake for the 2009 competition is an internship at an Electrolux design center and a cash prize. This year, contestants were asked to design appliances that will change the way we live over the next 90 years, allowing for personalization, learning, and time constraints.
As is the trend every year, the finalists have developed some astonishingly beautiful and innovative concepts. The group of eight finalists will battle it out at the September 24 finals, but for those interested in voting for the people's choice award, here is the run down of the top designs, in random order:
- Le Petit Prince by Martin Miklica of Brno University of Technology in the Czech Republic is a robotic greenhouse that's designed to facilitate our move to inhabiting Mars. The robot will care for a plant inside its mounted glass dome and will also have the capability to communicate with other robots in the area.
- Naturewash by Zhenpeng Li of Zhejiang University in China is a horizontal bed that uses negative ions to clean and refresh clothing. The user can choose from clean clothes, grass scent, or flower scent on the touch screen, and can be refreshed by lying down on the bed or by laying clothes flat on it.
- The Cocoon by Rickard Hederstierna of the Lund Institute of Technology in Sweden is a pod designed to cook meat and fish. RFID (radio frequency identification) signals are used to identify the type of prepackaged meat or fish dish that's inserted into the Cocoon, which responds by heating muscle cells in the meat according to a preprogrammed time. The Cocoon is designed to counteract some of the negative effects of overfarming and food transport.
- Moléculaire by Nico Kläber of the Köln International School of Design in Germany is a computer-controlled food printer that uses the same technology used to create CNC-printed plastic parts. It accomplishes this by combining particles of various ingredients in layers that are then stacked to create 2- and 3-dimensional components of meals, relieving the chef of some of the burden.
- Renew by Louis Filosa at Purdue University is a wall-mounted steam cleaner that eliminates the need for a 75 percent larger washing machine. RFID signals are transmitted from specially designed tags in clothes as they're passed through the double blades, controlling the blast of steam. It's also made from recycled aluminum and glass.
- Teleport Fridge by Dulyawat Wongnawa at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand functions just like you would expect it to, teleporting food directly into your refrigerator compartments. It uses touch-screen technology to let you pick the items you're low on, and at the touch of a button, they come right to you.
- Water Catcher by Penghao Shan by Zhejiang Sci-tech University in China is an automated water collection system. Flying balls are dispatched from a homing tray to collect rainwater, which is purified on their return and taken directly to the drinker. Modifications can be made independently for each user to fill in nutritional gaps or mineral deficiencies.
- Bifoliate by Toma Brundzaite at the Vilnius Academy of Art in Lithuania is a double-chambered dishwasher that eliminates the need to put away clean dishes. It has a door that toggles between the two chambers, allowing one to be a receptacle for dirty dishes and the other to act as a shelf for clean ones.
To see all of the finalists and vote on your favorite, you can visit the Electrolux Design Lab Web site here.
(Credit:
Appliancist)
The unit blends with other AEG-Electrolux stainless steel built-ins, giving you a beautiful six shelves of column storage for up to 36 bottles of wine. It's designed to keep your wine at an appropriate storage temperature, boasting a set of childproof temperature controls and an air circulation system that ensures that cold air is distributed evenly among your reds and whites. If you need to store them at different temperatures, you can take advantage of two temperature zones.
The wine chiller is available in left- or right-handed configurations, so you can rest assured that you'll find one that fits with your existing kitchen.
If there's one thing I dislike more than folding laundry, it's doing the dishes. But they've got to get done somehow, because I hate having a dirty kitchen more than either of those things.
(Credit:
Ubergizmo)
Electrolux is always coming up with creative ways to keep your kitchen clean. Here at Appliances and Kitchen Gadgets, it's best-known for its sponsorship of the Electrolux Design Lab, which gives industrial design students an opportunity to strut their stuff each year in designing innovative home appliances. In keeping with its reputation, the company has come up with a unique concept for a dishwasher, using a combination of UV light and air pressure instead of gallons of hot water.
The washing cycle begins with a blast of high-pressure air that removes leftover food and debris from the dishes, followed by hot steam that degreases them. The final step includes a set of UV beams that sterilize the dishes and prep them for use.
The downside is the size, which appears to be large enough to accommodate only enough dishes for one person. It also seems like cleaning cups would be difficult, since the air pressure stage of the washing cycle seems to rely heavily on clear access to all parts of the dish. That being said, it's just a concept, so let's cross our fingers that later editions are big enough to fit a family's worth of dishes.
(Via Ubergizmo)
Portable and pleasant.
(Credit: Electrolux)The Libero line of appliances from Electrolux is a modular system designed to bring mobile cooking anywhere there is a wall socket. While most people consider the scent of cooking food to be an appetizing feature they want, sometimes it is an unwelcome guest. The Libero appliances fit within one central unit that has an antiodor system incorporated in it. No matter what you need to cook, no matter where, the Electrolux Libero Point caters not only to location, but also to taste.
Using a variety of means, the do-it-all appliance system is capable of producing everything from stir-fry to grilled panini sandwiches. There are more than a dozen modular add-on appliances designed to work with the system. Induction powers two different wok hobs and several varieties of cook tops. Infrared-powered cooktops are also available, removing the restriction of the specific pans needed for induction cooking. Several available griddles powered by good old-fashioned electricity are available along with the aforementioned panini grill. Rounding out the options of available appliances is an oven capable of steam or convection cooking, or some combination of both.
The Libero Point captures all these devices and allows for them to be used in any environment. Perfect for a buffet room or other gathering hall where rogue scents may not be welcome, the Libero line is a versatile solution to mobile cooking needs.
Rendez-Vouz -- Electrolux Trend concept.
(Credit: Electrolux)Appliance giant Electrolux has been around for a long time yet is still keeping one eye on the future. Its Design Lab competition has given us snapshot glimpses of some appliances that we may be seeing in the future. Today, Electrolux unveiled two more designs based upon trends, of today and for tomorrow. While these are not actual products, Electrolux stresses that the technology is available today, and therefore these are closer to reality than they may appear at first glance.
The Rendez-vous table is designed with the idea in mind that the kitchen is a social gathering spot of the house. Large and meant for multitasking, the table is conceptualized as a wide-open induction cooktop that also would be able to power other appliances wirelessly. (Like this blender.) While the social activity of cooking and eating is highlighted, the table also would be programmed with a virtual chef, enabling cooks of all skill levels to enjoy the meal preparation. The result is a new area of the kitchen, perfect for cooking, eating, entertaining, and socializing.
Volare--Electrolux Trend concept.
(Credit: Electrolux)The Volare is a complete kitchen disguised as a piece of modern art. The modular system is designed to limit the space needed by appliances while also opening up floor space. At a push of a button, the user can select a pop-out induction cooktop, a coffee maker, a refrigerator unit, or the oven. The modular nature of this concept allows for precise customization according to individual needs.
While we won't be seeing these designs on any showroom floors in the near future, the not-too-distant future remains a distinct possibility. One thing for sure though, is that the thought process that went into these concepts is thoughtful and insightful, and will make our future kitchens that much more enjoyable.
"We want to show the world that if you can build a zero emissions facility in the forbidding climate of Antarctica, you can build them anywhere!" - Station manager Johan Berte
(Credit: Appliancist)When I imagine life as a scientist doing research in Antarctica, I see images of frostbitten noses, two-man tents, and notes carefully handwritten in college-ruled notebooks. After reading about the Princess Elisabeth Station, a research facility opened in February of this year that will focus on studying ice samples for clues to solve climate change, my ideas about life as a scientist in the Antarctic tundra are forever changed.
I'm smart enough to know that the technology driving scientific research has developed at mind-numbing speeds, making notepads and journals a distant memory. I've been fortunate enough to witness the work of these scientific minds first-hand, and I know that the need for climate research is greater now than perhaps ever.
What surprises me about Princess Elisabeth Station isn't the technology being used for scientific research: what's surprising to me is the technology being used in the everyday lives of the scientists who are living there.
If you were to walk into the Princess Elisabeth Station, you wouldn't find a group of geeks in winter parkas, shuddering together in a corner of a metal shack with a dirt floor. On the contrary, you'd find a high-tech living facility that has all of the home appliances that make life easier for those of us living in warmer climates, including six washing machines, six tumble dryers, 'A+' refrigerators, frost-free chest freezers, double oven cookers, cooker hoods, microwaves and an 'AAA' dishwasher (Appliancist).
The benefactor providing these creature comforts is Electrolux, a company that has spent the last several years driving initiatives to educate consumers about conserving energy. Due to its continued focus on designing energy efficient home appliances, Electrolux was approached to design the set of appliances for the station. Some of the appliances are even specifically designed for the scientists: the washing machines have larger doors to fit "bulky polar outdoor gear" and the freezers can freeze food for up to a year at -18 degrees Celsius.
The appliances are also run entirely on renewable energy: 90 percent of the energy is supplied to the station via wind turbines, and the rest is supplied by solar panels. Preheated water is used in the washing machines to save energy and elaborate waste and water management systems are used as well, contributing to the astonishing 95 percent of waste that the facility is able to recycle.
The Princess Elisabeth Station will focus on researching global warming and climate change, as well as CO2 emissions. On keeping the series of appliances in line with the principles driving the research, Station Manager Johan Berte remarks, "We want to show the world that if you can build a zero emissions facility in the forbidding climate of Antarctica, you can build them anywhere!"
Scan Toaster concept toasts any image straight from your computer.
(Credit: Electrolux)My mornings are based on routine. I'm not sure if it's the repetition of familiar movements or the cold coffee waiting for me in the kitchen that drives me through those first few waking moments. Either way, after I've had my coffee, I am awake enough to figure out how to make more coffee... and then it comes to breakfast.
Breakfast is my first true decision of the day. Everything else up to this point is robotic motion practiced into familiarity. Variety is the spice of life, so after my day has been kick started, I want a little choice to keep things from getting dull. Usually breakfast consists of some sort of grainy thing in a bowl with soymilk to wash it down. What can I say? It's fast and easy. If I want to break away from a bowl of cereal or oats, usually I look to toast.
Yes, plain, boring old toast, usually buttered with cinnamon on top.
Luckily for me, variety can be (well, if it ever comes to market) achieved with the Scan Toaster, a submission in the 2008 Electrolux Design Lab contest. The concept piece certainly takes variety seriously, as not only can it print any design onto your toast via a USB attachment to your computer, but it can also toast articles and news headlines right on to your toast. Read the day's news, and then eat it.
Designer Sung Bae Chang, a design student at Sejong University in South Korea, created the toaster for the competition that ends October 9 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Coox adaptive cooking table concept rolls into any room in the house.
(Credit: Electrolux)Sometimes the kitchen is just too far away. Go on, you can admit it, too. Deliciousness may be residing just a few feet away in the form of a precooked meal, but the effort of drag yourself into the kitchen to get it is simply too great. Besides, there's a ball game on the tube.
Submitted as an entry into the Electrolux 2008 Design Lab contest, the concept cooktop is a flexible extension of the dinner table, designed to be used in any room in the house. The theme of this year's annual competition was the Internet generation, and how products will need to adapt to the diversity and complexity it represents.
Antoine Lebrun, a design student at L'Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique, in France, created the adaptive cooking table appliance. He says:
"...My concept doesn't impose one way of doing things, but offers a maximum of possibilities for people to integrate it into their own lifestyles."
The Coox table is height adjustable, while casters provide mobility. The cooktop uses induction technology, and has three distinct heating areas. A warming area is also incorporated.
The Coox adaptive cooking table may be just the thing for the sports obsessed and the lazy alike. If only it existed.
